Possible Georgia redistricting fight could emerge after 2026 elections
Comments during a voting rights briefing focused on the possibility of Georgia lawmakers revisiting congressional maps after the midterms.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Georgia lawmakers could revisit congressional redistricting after the 2026 midterm elections, according to comments made during a voting rights media briefing focused on congressional map changes in Southern states.
During the briefing, Amir Badat of Fair Fight Action pointed to the possibility of lawmakers returning to the issue after the elections, following Gov. Brian Kemp’s announcement that the state would not seek redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections.
The briefing followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. According to the news release announcing the event, participating organizations believe the ruling weakened Voting Rights Act protections related to racially discriminatory maps.
Georgia not moving as quickly as some Southern states
When asked about Georgia specifically, Badat said lawmakers in the state have other factors to resolve, including the issue with QR codes on the ballots, before turning to redistricting, but he adds it’s not off the table.
“I think that it is entirely possible and likely that they will move to redistrict after the midterms,” Badat said.
According to Badat, if that happens, “new maps would apply, most likely in 2028.”
Badat described Georgia as “differently situated because it is a more competitive state.”
“And so, they can’t take as many risks there as they might be able to in other states,” he said.
He also referenced the 2026 elections and control of the Georgia House of Representatives.
“There’s a chance that… control of the Georgia House can shift to folks who care about voting rights and care about protecting Black political power,” Badat said.
Possible action during lame duck session
Badat also said lawmakers could revisit redistricting during a lame duck session after the elections.
“We expect they will likely redistrict in [a] lame duck [special session] this winter,” he said. “That could be December, it could be January. We don’t know yet, but that’s likely when we’re going to see it happen.”
The backdrop
The AP reports the Republican redistricting push in Alabama and other Southern states comes as Democrats suffered a major setback in their own redistricting efforts. Virginia’s Supreme Court on Friday invalidated a voter-approved congressional map that Democrats had been counting on to deliver as many as four additional U.S. House seats in this year’s elections.
Republicans in Southern states, meanwhile, have moved quickly to try to capitalize on a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case that significantly weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minorities. Tennessee enacted new congressional districts Thursday that carve up a Democratic-held, Black-majority district in Memphis. Louisiana postponed its U.S. House primaries as lawmakers work to enact new districts. And Republicans in the South Carolina House have proposed a new U.S. House map.
Even before the high court ruling, Republicans and Democrats already were engaged in a fierce redistricting battle, each seeking an edge in the midterm elections that will determine control of the closely divided House. That battle tilted further toward Republicans on Friday because of the Virginia ruling.
Since President Donald Trump prodded Texas to redraw its congressional districts last summer, Republicans think they could gain as many as 14 seats from new districts in several states while Democrats think they could gain up to six seats. But the parties may not get everything they sought, because the gerrymandering could backfire in some highly competitive districts.
